Filing cabinet and drawer for microscope slides



Feb. 9, 1954 5, WEISKQPF 2,668,746

FILING CABINET AND DRAWER FOR MICROSCOPE SLIDES Eiled March 2, 1949 TIC- Z TIC... l

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I NVEN TOR. EDW/N C WE/SKOPF T1: 5 T1: me/#6 Patented Feb. 9, 1954 FILING CABINET AND DRAWER FOR MICROSCOPE SLIDE-S Edwin C. Weiskopf, New York, N. Y., assignor to Tccbnicon International, Ltd., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 2, 1949, Serial No. 79,153

6 Claims. 1

The present invention relates generally to filing cabinets and, more particularly, to filing cabinets primarily intended to be used for filing a multiplicity of slides, such as, for example, those generally utilized with microscopes for biological and bacteriological purposes, and generally known as micro-slides. The cabinet of the present invention, however, may also have provision for the filing of photographic slides, such as lantern slides and Kodachrome slides.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved filing cabinet, of the above described character, having drawers readily engageable with guides provided in said cabinet, which guides also cooperate to prevent the vertical movement of said drawers whereby the drawers can be withdrawn for a substantial distance from said cabinet without danger of being accidently dislodged from the cabinet.

Another object is to provide an improved cabinet drawer guide which obviates the need for separately securing the guide to the cabinet bottom.

A further object is to provide an improved drawer structure wherein the walls, the bottom, and a plurality of guide means on said bottom are all formed from a single strip of sheet material.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be fully understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view of part of a sectional cabinet embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective View of a drawer according to the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the drawer shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 44 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-- 6 of Fig. 4.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the filing cabinet of the present invention is preferably of the sectional type, as illustrated in Fig. l, and comprises a plurality of cabinet sections Hi, disposed one on top of the other, in stacked relation, and provided with a top or cover section l2 for closing the top of the uppermost section of the filing cabinet. It will be understood that the cabinet may be provided with a suitable base section for the lowest stacked filing section I9. Each section 10 is formed of sheet metal, preferably 2. sheet steel, and comprises a bottom Id, of the full length and width of the section, side walls [6 and a rear wall I8. Each section l0 defines a housing chamber for a plurality of sliding drawers disposed horizontally in adjacent sideby-side relation in said chamber. The drawers may be constructed of different widths and made interchangeable, as explained in my Patent 2,364,409, for a Cabinet, dated Dec. 5, 1944, and in my copending application, Serial No. 582,521, filed March 13, 1945, now Patent No. 2,559,203, dated July 3, 1951. Said chamber has a front opening 20 through which the drawers are inserted and removed, or partly withdrawn, and which is closed by the front ends of thedrawers when the latter are fully within the section, the fronts of the drawers being substantially flush with the front of the cabinet when the drawers are closed. As shown in my above mentioned copending application, the top of each cabinet section ID has horizontal edge portions on which corresponding edge portions at the bottom of the a section are seated. In Fig. 5, corresponding lateral edge portions 22 are seated as indicated at 2 5. Reference is also made to said copending application for the manner in which the sections I 0 are held in position.

The bottom Hi of each cabinet section it is provided with a plurality of integral longitudinal guide members 26 extending rearwardly from an integral bottom portion 23 adjacent front opening 20, as illustrated in Fig. 6, to an integral bottom portion 38, adjacent rear wall :3. These guide members are disposed in laterally spaced relation defining longitudinal slots 32 to receive bottom portions of the drawers, as will hereinafter be 7 more particularly described. Guide members 26 are preferably formed by stamping or striking-up portions of bottom l4 between the integral bottom portions 28 and 30. The guide members are preferably of the same size and are preferably disposed in uniformly spaced relation in the upper surface of bottom wall 14 of the cabinet. Each guide member 26 has a fiat bottom portion 34, vertical portions 36, and horizontal portions or flanges 38 extending outwardly from the companion vertical portion 39, said flanges being spaced from the upper surface of bottom wall It, as indicated at to in Fig. 5, to receive portions of the drawers, as will hereinafter be described.

Referring now to the drawers, as shown by Fig. l, a plurality of drawer 42 are mounted in horizontal side-by-side position in the cabinet section 10. Although drawers 42 are all shown as -of the same narrow width for receiving microslides, it will be understood that they may be of various different widths to receive wider slides and cards, respectively, as explained in my patent and copending application, both referred to above. Drawer 42 comprises a, bottom wall 44, opposed side walls 46, a front end wall 48 and a rear end wall 58. Bottom wall Handside walls 46 are preferably formed in one piece from sheet metal stock, preferably sheet steel. The stock is preferably die stamped to form the central struck-out bead 52 extending longitudinally of drawer bottom 44 from the front to the rear thereof, the upturned opposed lateral walls 46, bead portions 54 near the frontof the side edges of bottom wall 44, bead portions 56 near the rear of the side edges of bottom wall 44, the confronting inturned portions 58 extending between beads 54 and 55 of each bottom wall side edge, respectively, and the flat horizontal bottom portions 60 between central bead 52 and the bottom'side edges. Front end wall 48 and rear end wall 150 are preferably welded to side walls 48, orv may besecuredthereto in any suitable manner. If so desired suitable means of any type (not shown) may be provided-on the upper surface of bottom wall 44 to retain side walls 4E5 against movementtoward each other.

When drawer 42 is positioned on bottom l4, central bead 52 slidably-engages flat portion 34 at the bottom of the groove of guide 26 and has a sliding fit with slight clearance in said groove between the opposite sides thereof, bottom portions 60 areslidably disposed on horizontal guide flanges 38, beads or runners 54 and 56 are slidably disposed on cabinet bottom I4 in slots 32 and the confronting inturned bottom portions 58 are received under the flanges 38 in the spaces 40 between said flanges and the adjacent upper surface portions of bottom wall M. It will be noted that inturned portions 58 frictionally engage or are-close to the under surfaces of flanges 38 and are slidable in slots 32 on theuppersurface of bottom wall l4. Beads 56 facilitate the ready introduction of drawer 42 into the cabinet by sliding over flat portion-28 and extend only a relatively short distance from the rear edge of bottom wall 44 to permit the drawer to be withdrawn from the cabinet for the greater part of its length, and yet permit the drawer to be secured against vertical dislodgement therefrom by the disposition of inturned portions 58 under flanges 38, even when almost fully withdrawn from the cabinet. Therefore, it is apparent that guides 26 not only guide the drawers, .in their movements in and out of the cabinet,- but also prevent the downward tilting of the drawers when the latter are partly withdrawn from the cabinet.

Each drawer is provided with a handle 62 formed by a partially stamped-out portion of front wall48 which is bentv outwardly and downwardly therefrom. A card or label holder is provided by a'plate 64 welded, or otherwise secured, to the front wall 43 over the opening therein left by bend-down handle 62, and provided with confronting holder portions 65 whereby a card 4 ample, the guides shown in my above referred to copending application.

While I have shown and described the presently preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that various changes in the details of construction and in the form and arrangement of partsmay be madewithout departing from the underlying idea or principles of this invention within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a cabinet comprising a frame having a bottom wall provided with longitudinal flanges spaced upwardly from the surface of said bottom wall, a drawer having opposite planar side walls and a bottom which extends between said side wall above the lower marginal edges of said side walls for engagement with said flanges, said side walls being provided at said marginal edges thereof with integral inturned portions extending toward each other in position below said drawer bottom, said inturned portions underlying said bottom and being engageable between said bottom wall and said oppositely extending flanges, respectively, and cooperating with said flanges for precluding disengagement of the drawer from the guide means of the cabinet unless said drawer is substantially entirely with drawn from said cabinet, and parts integrally formed with the side walls at the opposite ends of said inturned portions, said parts at the .rear end of the drawer facilitating the insertion of the drawer into said cabinet for engaging said inturned portions between the bottom wall of "said cabinet and said oppositely extending flanges, respectively, said parts extending be- 3. In a cabinet comprising a framehaving a 7 bottom wall provided with longitudinal guide means having a pair of oppositely extendinglateral flanges spaced upwardly from the surface-of said bottom wall,.a drawer having opposite side walls, each side wallhaving a longitudinally extending portion integral therewith at the lower marginal edge thereof, said portions extending substantially for the full length of the drawer and extending upwardly from said lower marginal edges of said side walls, respectively, and a drawer bottom interconnecting said longitudinally extending portions above the lower marginal edges of said Walls, each of said portions being struck out intermediate the opposite ends thereof to provide confronting parts underlying said drawer bottom and a runner ateach end of eachof said confronting parts, said confronting parts extending between said bottom wall and said oppositely extending flanges, respectively, cooperating with said flanges for precluding disen-- gagement of the drawer from the guide means of the cabinet unless said drawer is substantially entirely withdrawn from said cabinet, and said runners facilitating the entry of the rear end of said drawer into said cabinet and movemen of said drawer therein.

4. In a cabinet comprising a frame havingebottom wall provided with longitudinal guide means having a pair of oppositely extending lateral flanges spaced upwardly from the surface of said bottom wall, a drawer having opposite longitudinally extending side walls and a bottom which extends between said side walls, said side walls having at their lower marginal edges integral inturned portions which underlie adjacent intermediate portions of said drawer bottom and which extend between said bottom wall and said oppositely extending flanges, respectively, to preclude disengagement of the drawer from said guide means of the cabinet unless said drawer is substantially entirely withdrawn from said cabinet, said inturned portions being struck out from said drawer bottom, and said drawer bottom having integral portions which extend continuously between said side walls and are integral therewith for connecting said drawer bottom to said side walls.

5. In a cabinet comprising a frame having a bottom wall provided with longitudinal guide means having a pair of oppositely extending lateral flanges spaced upwardly from the surface of said bottom wall, a drawer having opposite longitudinally extending side walls and a bottom which extends between said side Walls, said side Walls having at their lower marginal edges integral inturned portions which underlie adjacent intermediate portions of said drawer bottom and which extend between said bottom wall and said oppositely extending flanges, respectively, to preclude disengagement of the drawer from said guide means of the cabinet unless said drawer is substantially entirely withdrawn from said cabinet, said inturned portions being struck out from said drawer bottom, and said drawer bottom having integral portions at each end of said struck out portions which extend continuously between said side walls and are integral therewith for connecting said drawer bottom to said side walls.

6. In a cabinet comprising a frame having a bottom wall provided with longitudinal guide means having a pair of oppositely extending lateral flanges spaced upwardly from the surface of said bottom wall, a drawer having opposite longitudinally extending side walls and a bottom which extends between said side walls, said side walls having at their lower marginal edges integral inturned portions which underlie adjacent intermediate portions of said drawer bottom and which extend between said bottom wall and said oppositely extending flanges, respectively, to preclude disengagement of the drawer from said guide means of the cabinet unless said drawer is substantially entirely withdrawn from said cabinet, said inturned portions being struck out from said drawer bottom, and said drawer bottom having integral portions at each end of said struck out portions which extend continuously between said side walls and are integral therewith for connecting said drawer bottom to said side walls, and said drawer bottom being provided with a bead which extends longitudinally of said intermediate portions of said drawer bottom and into said continuous portions of said drawer bottom, whereby to strengthen said drawer bottom.

EDWIN C. WEISKOPF.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,047,843 Schafiert Dec. 17, 1912 1,475,797 Conrad Nov. 27, 1923 1,887,077 Westrope Nov. 8, 1932 2,000,463 Browne May 7, 1935 2,182,026 Link Dec. 5, 1939 2,270,557 Randall Jan. 20, 1942 2,277,815 Broeren et al Mar. 31, 1942 2,282,247 Reid May 5, 1942 2,321,520 Ruckman June 8, 1943 2,364,409 Weiskopf Dec. 5, 1944 2,559,203 Weiskopf July 3, 1951 

